Athletic Training

High ankle sprain.. Can I play on it?

09/19/2007

Question:

I was diagnosed with a high ankle sprain two weeks ago and i want to know if its okay to play on it this friday. The trainer said ill be fine if i tape it up really good but ill have to play with pain. Every day its been getting significantly better, with me able to put my full body weight on it, jog walk with out any discomfort. But when i attempt to sprint is hurts and i cant go as fast

Answer:

High ankle sprains typically are much slower to recover than traditional ankle sprains because the ligament that is involved in the injury acts to stabilize the ankle when your heel is off the ground. This is why sprinting is probably still painful for you. The best option for return to play is to follow up with the physician who initially diagnosed your problem, and together with the athletic trainer who sees you on a daily basis, come up with guidelines that allow you to return to activity in as safe a manner as possible. The concern I have is that you are unable to do the activities required by your sport without experiencing pain. I would follow up with your athletic trainer and physician to get their advice prior to initiating any return to these activities.

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